


Bad Communist T-Shirts and Movie Nights

by marvelousrats



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Child Abuse, Eating Disorders, F/M, Hockey, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Jet is a Communist, M/M, Modern AU, Past Abuse, Recovery, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sexual Abuse, Some Humor, This one is kinda rough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelousrats/pseuds/marvelousrats
Summary: Jet doesn’t know how to behave at movie nights and Zuko finally opens up about his past.
Relationships: Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is basically just smut and fluff and the heavy stuff comes in in the next chapter. Also why must I be subjected to the horror of titling my fics. What the fuck is up with that. 
> 
> I livvee off of comments, babes, so any scrap of attention you could throw at me is much appreciated.  
> Check out my Tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/marvelousrats)

“You’re so pretty,” Jet mumbled into Zuko’s neck. Zuko bit his lip as Jet kissed and licked at his throat. 

“Stop it,” Zuko said half heartedly. “There are people here.” 

“They’re watching the movie, don’t worry, baby,” Jet said. He ran his tongue up Zuko’s neck. Zuko shuttered. Zuko glanced around the room. Aang and Katara were sitting on a loveseat where they were cuddled together, watching National Treasure intently. Suki was sitting on one end of the couch and was relaying the important visuals to Toph, who was listening intently. Sokka was sitting on the other side and was making jokes about the movie to Haru and Teo, who were laughing. Zuko and Jet were curled up on another loveseat. This was the unofficial seating chart for the group’s tv watching nights pretty much every weekend since Aang and Katara had gotten the apartment. They had started having these stupid movie nights months ago and, at the time, Zuko had been fairly against them, given that Jet didn’t know how to behave, but over time the ritual had grown on him. Aang had gotten Disney+, much to Katara’s chagrin. Of course this meant watching the High School Musical trilogy, most of the Muppets movies, and all four seasons of Phineas and Ferb. Zuko wondered why he still hung out with them. Fortunately they have stayed away from Princess movies so far, but Zuko worried that they would stray into that territory when Frozen 2 became available for streaming. The only movie that they had watched so far that Zuko genuinely enjoyed was Brother Bear. He missed watching good movies that were well written and not a sequel or a remake, but he digressed. 

“Seriously, Jet, stop,” Zuko said. Jet pulled his mouth away from Zuko’s neck. 

“Anything for you, sweetheart,” Jet said. Zuko rolled his eyes and returned his focus to Nick Cage as he stole the Declaration of Independence. By the time Ben Gates and Riley Poole were being chased through the streets of DC by Sean Bean, Zuko had sunk further into Jet’s arm and was mindlessly tracing circles on Jet’s knee. Jet’s hand rested in Zuko’s long hair. Zuko gasped softly as Jet pulled lightly on his hair. Zuko retaliated by moving his fingers further up Jet’s inner thigh. Jet removed his hand from Zuko’s hair and pulled him further into his lap. Surprisingly, Jet didn’t pounce on his neck like he usually would. Instead he separated Zuko’s hair into three sections and started to braid it. 

“What are you doing,” Zuko said. 

“I’m braiding your hair, dumbass, what do you think,” Jet replied. 

“Why?” Zuko was not used to this side of Jet. He knew it was there, but Jet maintained his cocky attitude most of the time so it was a bit odd to see a softer part of Jet slip through the cracks. 

“You’re my boyfriend and I care about you, idiot.” His fingers wove the strands of hair deftly. 

“Oh,” Zuko said softly. 

“Stop being mushy.” Toph said. “Can’t we watch a movie about Nick Cage stealing from the US government without you guys being weird.”

“Fuck off,” Zuko said. 

“Yeah, this is a police state controlled by a sociopathic racist so we get to be as gay as we want,” Jet said.

“Wow, I didn’t know my dad was president,” Zuko said. The room erupted into laughter. 

“C’mon man, you’ve got to pay more attention to the news,” Sokka said. Zuko laughed. “Fuck off, Boromir! Why are you such a dick in this movie,” Sokka yelled at the TV. 

“Hair tie.” Jet held his hand over Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko handed Jet the piece of red ribbon he had been using to tie up his hair since he lost his last real hairband. Jet tied off the braid and flips it over Zuko’s shoulder. “You should do the thing.”

“What thing?” A number of things came to mind, none of them suitable for polite company. Or his friend’s couch. 

“With the hair. Where it’s a little messy.” Jet rested his chin on Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko slid off of Jet’s lap and frowned at his boyfriend. 

“Babe, what are you talking about?” 

“Y’know, when you have a few bits of hair that are not in the braid. It looks pretty.” 

“Oh right, yeah.” He pulled a few strands of hair out and curled them around his fingers. Jet smirked and kissed him. 

“God, you’re fucking gorgeous,” Jet murmured into Zuko’s ear. Zuko’s face flushed. Jet pressed a kiss to the corner of Zuko’s mouth. “So pretty for me.” He kissed Zuko’s jaw. His fingers slipped under Zuko’s shirt. 

“Hey if you guys are gonna fuck, can you not do it in front of everyone else,” Suki said. 

“You’re just jealous.” Jet smirked. Zuko’s cheeks burned. 

“I’m really not. Too much… testosterone.” She rolled her eyes. Zuko pressed his face into his hands. 

“Jet, I’m gonna liberate some snacks from the kitchen.” Zuko stood up. 

“Mm, good luck, comrade,” Jet said. Zuko walked into the kitchen and found Aang 

and Katara’s dog lying on the floor. Zuko leaned down and scratched him behind the ear. Zuko sighed. He knew most of his friends weren’t huge fans of Jet, but the man made him happy and he wasn’t going to let that go. The two had been on and off for about a year and a half, and had made their relationship official a few months ago. Zuko had never been in a serious relationship before, the closest being his high school girlfriend. That relationship failed because Zuko moved to Minnesota to live with his uncle and couldn’t handle talking to anyone from his past life. When he had met Jet, the two were on opposing college hockey teams and had run into each other at a bar the next day. After a few drinks they had gone back to Zuko’s apartment and fucked. When Jet went home the next day, the two pretty much forgot about each other until a year later when they faced off in the championships. They got into a fight on the ice and when the game was over they probably scarred an Uber driver for life because they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other. The sex that night had been angry and fast. The aggression and adrenaline from the game being let out. Jet left again and they forgot about it for a while. After graduation, Jet moved to Minneapolis and got back in contact with Zuko. It was casual at first, but they were both jealous bastards so any attempt at an extracurricular relationship was met with a week of sulking followed by hate sex. After the third time that happened, the two realized they would probably work better as an actual couple. They were wrong, but a forced hospitalization and a stint in jail later, they both got therapy and the relationship took a turn toward healthy. 

Now they go to movie night at Aang and Katara’s. Domestic bliss. Zuko got up after giving Appa one last scratch, poured himself a glass of red wine, and a bowl of tortilla chips. Zuko returned to the living room and sat down next to Jet. He pressed a kiss to Jet’s cheek. Jet smirked and wrapped an arm around him. His other hand plunged into the chip bowl. “Fuck you,” Zuko hissed. 

“Fuck you, too, pretty boy.” Jet grinned.

One and a half National Treasure movies later, Jet and Zuko were leaving Katara and Aang’s. They paused as they walked down the hallway when Jet pulled him into a kiss. “I don’t want to leave you,” Jet said. He kissed Zuko again. 

He glanced up and down the hallway before saying “Then don’t. Sokka gets a lot more joy out of sitting around and chatting than I do, so he probably won’t be home for a while,” Zuko said. Jet smirked.

“Lead the way, sweet thing.” Jet kissed Zuko’s knuckles. Zuko’s face burned at the nick name. It was degrading and Zuko hated that he liked it. He and Jet walked shoulder to shoulder down to Zuko’s car. They listened to 80’s rock as they drove. Jet’s choice. Zuko parked in his spot in the parking garage. He intertwined their fingers in the elevator, but dropped Jet’s hand when one of Zuko’s neighbors joined them. 

“Hey, Garrett.” Zuko nodded. “How’s,” he paused, searching for a name, “Deborah?” 

“She’s good. We’re getting a dog,” Garrett replied.

“Oh, nice.” Zuko nodded again. He thanked whatever higher power there may be when the elevator arrived at his floor. “See you around,” he said. Jet nodded at Garrett as they left the elevator. Zuko unlocked the door and pulled Jet into the apartment. He barely had the chance to lock the door before Jet shoved him up against it and kissed him. 

“How long do you think we have before Sokka gets home, sweetheart?” 

“Dunno.” Zuko checked his phone. 12:30. “Half an hour maybe, but I have a room, y’know. We could just go in there.” Jet hummed in response. He kissed Zuko one more time before pulling away. They discarded their winter clothing with minimal effort when it came to hanging it up. Jet reattached himself to Zuko. His hands cupped Zuko’s jaw. Zuko tangled his fingers in Jet’s hair. Jet nipped at Zuko’s lower lip. 

“Baby, you’re so pretty.” Jet smirked. Zuko moaned as Jet ground their hips together. The two rutted against each other for a few moments before Jet grabbed Zuko’s hips and pulled him into the living room. He pressed Zuko into the arm of the couch and began to leave marks on Zuko’s neck. Zuko panted softly and turned his head to give Jet more access. “God, I want you so bad, pretty boy. Wanna bend you over this couch and fuck you til you can’t walk. Wanna fill you with my cock so bad, sweet thing,” he mumbled. Zuko moaned. Jet bit at his neck. 

“Not above the collar line.” Zuko jerks away from Jet. “What are you? 15?” 

“Fortunately for you, I’m not.” Jet smirked. “That would be illegal, pretty boy.” Zuko rolled his eyes. Any annoyance Zuko felt for the other man disappeared when Jet shoved a thigh between Zuko’s legs. Zuko groaned softly when Jet pulled Zuko’s hips down against his thigh. “You make such pretty noises, baby. So fuckin’ hot.” Jet resumed his assault on Zuko’s neck and his hands slid up Zuko’s shirt, skating over Zuko’s chest. He ran a thumb over Zuko's nipple, causing him to gasp. Zuko slid a hand between them and palmed at Jet’s cock. Jet pulled away, his signature smirk on his face. Jet grabbed Zuko’s jaw. “Not yet whore,” he hissed. “Wait until I say so.” He scraped his teeth down Zuko’s jaw. His thumb skated across the edge of Zuko’s scar. Zuko flinched away. 

“Don’t.” Zuko scowled. 

“Sorry baby.” He pressed a soft kiss to Zuko’s good cheek. He undid the button and zipper on Zuko’s jeans. He reached his hand into Zuko’s briefs and took his cock into his hand. Zuko gasped. “Is this okay?”

“God, fuck, yes,” Zuko moaned. Jet stroked his cock a few times before letting go. He pulled Zuko’s pants down his hips. Zuko pulled away from Jet’s grasp to remove his shirt and pants. Jet grabbed Zuko’s naked hips and pulled them back together. Zuko’s cock brushed against the harsh weave of Jet’s jeans and he groaned. Jet’s long fingers wrapped around Zuko’s cock again and he stroked it. “J-Jet,” Zuko gasped. Jet slipped his hand into Zuko hair and pulled back, exposing his neck. He bit and sucked at Zuko jugular vein. Zuko dug his fingers into Jet’s shoulder and bucked into his hand. 

“God, you’re such a whore, aren’t you.” Jet purred. “So desperate for me to touch you. Such a fuckin’ whore. My whore.” Zuko whimpered and pulled Jet’s hair. Jet gasped softly. “Do you want me to fuck you, sweetheart?” Zuko nodded, too caught up in Jet’s hand to formulate words. “Use your words, sweet thing. Tell me what you want. Tell me how hard you want me to fuck you. How you want me to use you. Bend you over the couch like the whore you are.”

“Please, Jet, fuck me.” Zuko rasped. “I want you to fuck me so hard.” Jet smirked. 

“Bend over, pretty boy,” Jet hissed. Zuko turned and bent over the arm of the couch. Jet stripped his shirt off and discarded it on the floor. He pressed a kiss to Zuko’s back before removing his pants. He leaned over Zuko and nipped at his undamaged ear. They both looked up when they heard the lock click. Zuko quickly grabbed his pants off the floor and was able to get his underwear on before Sokka opened the door. 

“Jesus Christ you guys. Can you not do this on my couch? You have a bed.” Sokka covered his eyes. The two put their clothes back on. Jet snickered and an amused smile spread across Zuko’s face. “This may be funny to you two, but now I’ve seen Jet’s dick. I didn’t ask for this.” 

“Sorry, Sokka. We thought you would take longer at Katara’s.” Zuko couldn’t look Sokka in the eye. 

“It’s fine, this couch has been through a lot anyway. After four years of Haru, Teo, and I in college, and now her home here, she’s seen her fair share of… porn.” Sokka chuckled. He scratched the back of his neck. 

“We have a couch like that back at my place,” Jet said, somehow still managing to sound confident. “We’ve gotten it reupholstered, like, twice.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve been meaning to do that, but it’s expensive,” Sokka said. This was the second worst conversation Zuko had ever been a part of. 

“Oh, I know a guy, he does good work. He also sells good weed. Upholstery is like a hobby or something. I’ll give you his number,” Jet said. 

“Oh good.” Sokka nodded. 

“Okay, Jet and I are going to go to my room. Thank you for the thrilling conversation. See you in the morning to early afternoon, depending on when you decide to grace us with your presence.” Zuko blushed and pulled Jet out of the living room. Jet smirked as he and Zuko fell into bed. 

“Do you still want me to fuck you?” He said. 

“No, let’s just get this over with quickly.” Zuko played with his braid. 

“Of course, baby.” Jet leaned down and kissed him softly. He slid down between Zuko’s knees. He lifted his hips so Jet could pull his jeans off. He nipped at the soft skin, occasionally sucking a mark onto his pale skin. Zuko tangled his fingers in Jet’s scruffy hair and pulled lightly. He dug his fingers into Zuko’s hips, leaving crescent shaped indents in his wake. “Oh, pretty thing. You’re so good for me.” He mumbled into Zuko’s thigh. He looked up at Zuko. His lips were red and his pupils were blown wide. “I want to suck your cock, sweetheart.” Zuko gasped softly and nodded. He sighed as Jet took him into his mouth. 

“Fuck, Jet,” Zuko moaned. “That’s, fuck, perfect.” He bit his lip, trying to keep quiet out of respect for Sokka. One of his hands was stuck in Jet’s hair and he balled the other one in Jet’s stupid Communist shirt. Jet pulled off Zuko’s cock. He slipped his hands under Zuko’s shirt. 

“Don’t hold back, love. I want to hear you. Also you should take off your shirt.” He smirked. 

“Only if you do.” He returned the look. Zuko pulled his turtleneck over his head, briefly getting caught in the tight fabric. Jet snickered as he pulled his propaganda shirt over his head. “Fuck off, darling.” Zuko balled up the shirt and threw it at him. 

“Stop it with that ‘darling’ shit, or else.” He grinned.

“Or else what?” 

“Or else I’ll kiss you.” 

“What a horrible fate, darling.” Zuko put a hand on Jet’s cheek. Jet grabbed Zuko’s jaw and crashed their lips together. He ignored the taste of his own cock in Jet’s mouth and kissed back. Jet pulled away and took Zuko’s cock back into his mouth. Zuko leaned back and moaned, a constant stream of ‘Jet’, ‘pretty’ and various profanities flowed out of his mouth. 

Three sharp pounds came from the other side of the wall and Sokka yelled “Shut the fuck up, I’m trying to sleep!” 

“Sorry,” Zuko gritted out. Jet looked at him playfully, his lips still wrapped around Zuko’s cock. Zuko swallowed back any noises Jet tried to draw out of him. This proved a difficult task as he was pulled closer to the edge. Fire licked at his abdomen and he grabbed the back of Jet’s head, pulling him down on his cock. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he groaned. He thrust into Jet’s mouth as he came. Jet swallowed eagerly. He pulled off of Zuko’s cock. Cum dripped from the corners of his mouth. Zuko wiped it away with his thumb and Jet licked that up too. 

“My turn.” Jet smirked. He climbed into Zuko’s lap and kissed him. Zuko cringed at the salty taste that clung to Jet’s mouth, but let him continue anyway. He undid Jet’s pants and pulled out his cock. He stroked it a few times before Jet came on his hand and stomach. Zuko pulled away from Jet’s kiss to lick his hand clean. “Hgn, that’s so fuckin’ hot, sweet thing. You’re so fucking hot.” Jet kissed Zuko’s neck a few times before standing up. He put his cock back in his pants and left the bedroom. Zuko frowned at the mess on his stomach. He lay back on his bed and sighed softly. He let his eyes drift shut. He heard Jet come back in and felt a cloth soaked in warm water run across his abdomen. Jet kissed his chest. His warm hands gripped Zuko’s bare hips. He pressed a few kisses to the hollow of Zuko’s neck before standing back up. After a bit of shuffling, Jet lay back in bed, fully naked. Zuko smiled when Jet pulled him into his arms. He rested his head on Jet's chest. Their bodies were curled together, keeping out the winter air. Jet’s chest rose and fell evenly, already fast asleep. Zuko dozed off soon after. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang gets into their past traumas and horrible living situations from their childhoods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey remember those trigger warnings in the tags? Here’s where they come into play. 
> 
> For those of you who do read this, you can pry the boys playing hockey out of my cold, dead hands. 
> 
> Also thank you for the comments and kudos on part one, I would literally die for people Who do that. I deeply appreciate it you guys :-)

Jet was still asleep when Zuko woke up the next morning. He untangled himself from Jet’s long limbs and got out of bed. He pulled on a pair of boxers and looked at Jet’s communist propaganda t-shirt that was crumpled on the floor. He picked it up and looked at the graphic. A naked woman grinned at him, her hair tied back by a red bandanna, one arm flexed and the other pointing a head of her. A red hammer and sickle covered her vagina and something was written in Russian below that. It was a bad shirt, but it was soft and it smelled like Jet so Zuko pulled it over his head. He looked at Jet one more time before going into the kitchen. He made coffee and sat on the counter to drink it. Sokka came in a few moments later and they stewed in an awkward silence for a moment before bursting into laughter. “That shirt is so fucking awful.” Sokka grinned.

“I know. I feel more heterosexual than I’ve ever felt, though. I think my dad would be proud of me.” He smirked over his mug. 

“Jesus Christ, man.” Sokka laughed. “Where did he even get that?”

“I think he got it directly from the Russian Mafia in the early 90s.” Zuko shrugged. “He has a lot of weird stuff like this. It’s… fun.” He played with the end of his braid. 

“So, will you be around for the game tonight? Flames vs Wild going head to head?” Sokka grinned. He was already wearing his Calgary Flames jersey and Zuko’s Wild jersey had migrated to the top of his wardrobe in preparation for the upcoming game. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He grinned. “You ready to have your ass kicked?” 

“Are you kidding me? Minnesota has one good professional team and it’s not the Wild” Sokka said. 

“What, the Lynx?”

“Yeah.”

“Unfortunately, people don’t care about women’s basketball as much because of misogyny, so they don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Zuko said. 

“No kidding.” Sokka nodded. He made his usual overly sugary drink while Zuko sat on the counter. “So, how are things with Jet? You guys are certainly… together.” 

“Yeah, things are good. I know you don’t like him, but I really care about him.” 

“Hey, if you like him, I like him.” Sokka shrugged. “I just know his history and I worry. I mean he _is_ manipulative _and_ he’s notoriously violent, but to each his own.” 

“Yeah, and I have anger issues and abandonment issues, so we balance each other out.” Zuko shrugged. “It just means we can be violent and sullen together.” 

“That sounds healthy,” Sokka said. 

“I’m kidding. We were both like that when we started out, but therapy really helped,” Zuko said. “We’ve both changed a lot since we first got together. He can be a pain, but I still really like him.” 

“Zuko, I’m glad you found someone you like. The only thing that should hurt you is when Calgary fuckin’ crushes the Wild tonight.” Sokka smiled.

“Fortunately I don’t have to worry about that because the Wild would never disappoint me like that.” Zuko returned the smile. 

“Hey baby,” Jet said. He was wearing Zuko’s bathrobe. “Sokka.” He nodded at the man. A smile flitted across Zuko’s lips when Jet wrapped an arm around him. 

“Hello, darling.” He pressed a kiss to Jet’s cheek. 

“Shirt looks good.” He fiddled with the hem of said shirt. 

“No it doesn’t, this is the worst shirt I’ve ever seen.” Zuko rolled his eyes light-heartedly. 

“And yet, you make it work.” Jet tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of the braid behind his good ear. A tender look spread across his face. His brown eyes shone in the warm morning light. Zuko’s breath caught in his throat. 

Sokka made a face and said “Gross.” Jet flipped him off. “Do you want some coffee?” Jet nodded. Sokka handed him a mug and poured the coffee. 

“Do you have almond milk or something?” Jet frowned at the coffee. 

“We have regular milk,” Zuko said. Jet rolled his eyes, but Zuko cut him off with a kiss before he could launch into a spiel about the environmental impact of dairy. Sokka grumbled something about how God was testing him. Zuko pulled away and said “You don’t believe in God,” as he walked to the fridge. 

“That’s how hard he’s making it for me.” Sokka frowned. “He’s shaken my whole belief system.” Zuko smiled and handed Jet the milk. He begrudgingly poured it into his coffee and handed it back to Zuko. “So are you guys going to be here all day or can I invite Suki over.” Sokka smirked. 

“Gettin’ the strap, huh?” Jet smirked. Zuko elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Oh piss off, Jet.” Sokka rolled his eyes, his face flushed red. 

“Oh, did I hit a nerve?” Jet said.

“Jet, be nice.” Zuko scowled. He rested his hand on Jet’s arm, hoping to temper him.

“I am being nice. I’m just talking to Sokka about his top, I mean Suki.” 

“Just shut the fuck up.” Zuko grumbled, his head falling into his hands. Sokka groaned. Jet frowned, looking between the two.

“Hey, I was just kidding, Sokka. I shouldn’t have said that, I’m sorry.” Zuko and Sokka both looked surprised by Jet’s apology. 

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have.” Sokka grabbed his coffee off the counter and stomped to his room. Jet sighed and looked dejected at the ground. 

“Being a better person is hard,” Jet mumbled. 

“I know, but you have to try.” Zuko bumped him with his shoulder. Jet dropped his head on Zuko’s shoulder. “There’s a rink not too far from here, want to play some pond hockey?” 

Jet perked up. “One v one?” He smiled. “Fuck yeah.”

“I’m gonna kick your ass.” Zuko smirked.

“In your dreams, sweet thing.” Jet cupped his cheek and kissed him. Zuko leaned into the kiss, holding his coffee away from his body. “Do you want breakfast? Actually, you’re eating breakfast whether you want it or not.” Zuko frowned and sat at the breakfast bar. He drew his legs up to his chest and tucked his knee under his chin. To his chagrin, Jet made French toast and sausages. He also cut up fruit and poured maple syrup over the whole plate. He grinned when he set a plate in front of Zuko, who frowned at the pile of food. “You have to eat it all.” 

“I know,” Zuko grumbled. He stabbed one of the sausages and bit into it. It was good. Sometimes he forgot that food could taste good. Jet watched as he choked down the rest of the food. 

“So therapy is going well?” Jet said when all the food was gone.

“I guess. I don’t have to talk about it, right? That’s what the therapist is for.” Zuko hugged his knees tighter. He knew what would happen if he started talking about his issues. He could barely keep it contained to an hour every week and he hated letting himself feel vulnerable, so why would he do it now. Other than the fact that it was his boyfriend who asked him. His boyfriend who cared about him a lot. Who had broken the law on numerous occasions to make him happy. 

Jet looked at him sadly. “You don’t have to, but I would love it if you did, babe.” Jet reached out to tuck a hair behind his ruined ear. Zuko shuddered. He’s had it for years and he had long since accepted it as part of his face, but feeling someone else touch it made him nauseous. Jet trailed his fingers down his jaw and onto his neck, following the melted skin. Zuko knew it extended down under the collar of his shirt and onto his chest and shoulder, but he didn’t want to think about the horrible disfigurement. Fortunately, Jet gave him something else to think about when he slid his hand into Zuko’s hair and pulled him into a kiss. He pulled away. “I… I love you and I want you to be healthy and happy.” Jet said and dropped his head into his hands. The tips of his ears were bright red. “I want you to trust me,” he mumbled. Zuko’s eyes went wide. Looking back on his life, the only people who had ever told him they loved him was his mother and uncle. Now Jet, a violent criminal, a man so disliked by most of his friends, a man who was just as broken as Zuko, a man, was on that list. 

“I love you, too.” He pulled one of Jet’s hands away from his face and laced their fingers together. Jet looked up at him and smiled softly. “And I do trust you. I just, I don’t want to open the floodgates.” Zuko looked away. “It’s too early.” 

“It’s been almost a year since we started dating.” Jet frowned. 

“No, it’s only 8:30,” Zuko said. 

“Oh, right,” Jet said. “Why do you have to wake up so early? Can we go back to bed?”

“I think there’s a Law and Order: SVU marathon going on today, if you want to watch that before hockey. I know it’s copaganda, but Olivia Benson is an icon,” Zuko suggested. Jet cringed. 

“Yeah, heh, it’s copaganda. Why would I want to watch that? Maybe we should just watch something else.” Surprisingly, Jet looked uncomfortable. He didn’t look like that when he talked about Brooklyn 99 or any other show that glorified the police force. 

“Have you watched It’s Always Sunny?” Zuko asked.

“No,” Jet replied.

“Oh, you’re gonna love it.” He smiled. The two padded into the living room and Zuko grabbed his XBox controller off the side table. Jet spread out across the whole couch. Zuko frowned at him. “Move.”

“No.” Jet smirked. Zuko shrugged and sat on Jet’s stomach. Jet grunted softly and shifted so Zuko was sitting with his back to his abdomen. Zuko navigated through the different screens and sunk further into the warmth of Jet’s body. When they finally started the show, Jet grabbed him and pulled him against his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of Zuko’s head. “I love you, Zuko.” 

“I love you too, Jet.”

~*~

The two accidentally went through two seasons of It’s Always Sunny before they managed to tear themselves off the couch. They had to stop at Jet’s apartment to pick up his skates and stick before they headed out to the lake. 

For the most part, the two were evenly matched. They had both been playing hockey for years and were outstanding on their individual teams. However, Zuko was mostly lean muscle at this point and had martial arts training to boot, so he was finally able to score on Jet. They called that halftime and they skated over to a nearby bench. Jet threw an arm around Zuko and tried to kiss his cheek. Zuko pulled away and raised his arm defensively. “Don’t,” he warned. 

“Oh, sorry.” They two sat in silence for a moment. “That was some good playing, babe. I nearly forgot how good you were.” Zuko smiled softly into his scarf. “Do you want to play some more, or should we go back to your place? Or my place, but Bee and Longshot are home, and I want you alone.” Jet leaned in and ran his hand over Zuko’s cheek, his usual smirk was plastered across his face. Zuko jerked away from Jet’s touch. “What’s wrong?” 

“Don’t touch me,” he said. He glanced at two girls using chairs to help them skate around the rink and their mother following a few paces behind on the snow. They weren’t looking at him and Jet. 

“Zuko, are you okay? Are you mad at me?” Jet frowned. 

“No, we just can’t do that here.” Zuko kicked at the snow. 

“What do you mean?”

“Just wait until we get home,” he hissed. Jet nodded. 

“So does that mean we’re going to your place?” Jet smirked. 

“S’pose.” Zuko stood up and offered Jet a hand, which he took. The two skated over to the warming house where they removed their skates. They shuffled back to Zuko’s car through the snow that had started to fall. Zuko drove in silence while Jet messed with the stereo, trying to find something other than Christmas music. 

“Minneapolis is a cool city, but Jesus do these midwesterners love their consumerist propaganda,” Jet said after they heard the intro to ‘Santa Baby’ for the third time.

“Don’t act like you’re not from fucking Wisconsin,” Zuko said. “Which is even worse than here. We’re at least a blue state.” 

“Red or blue doesn’t really matter. They’re two sides of the same horrible, controlling government,” Jet said. 

“If this is your long winded way of saying you don’t vote, I’m breaking up with you,” Zuko sighed.

“Of course I vote, I just don’t like it,” Jet replied. “I don’t think that we should have to choose between two racist old men that are funded by billionaires who don’t give a shit about people.” Zuko hummed in response, already knowing where this rant was going. “The people should decide what’s best, not the 1%. Stalin was a bad guy-”

“Oh my god,” Zuko muttered. 

“-but Marxism still could work. It would be better than whatever the fuck is going on right now. We need to unite against the rich fucks who run our country and kill them.”

“Love, I agree with you, but please, shut the fuck up you fucking communist. It doesn’t work and you need a healthy balance of social and governmental control to run a country. Especially one as big as America,” Zuko said. 

“First off, get out of here with your facts.” Jet rolled his eyes. “Second, please call me ‘love’ all the time.” 

“Okay, my love.” Zuko chuckled. He pulled into the parking garage and parked in his usual spot. He glanced around the garage before leaning over to kiss Jet. “You can just leave your shit in the car. I’ll drive you home after the game or something.”

“Oh yeah, Wild versus Flames, right?” Jet smirked. Zuko nodded. The two walked back up to Zuko’s apartment. When they got to the door, Jet rested his gloved hands on Zuko’s waist. He pulled away from the touch and looked up and down the hallway. He quickly unlocked the door and pulled him inside. 

“Sokka?” Zuko called. “We’re back.” He pulled off his layers of winter gear.

“You guys have the worst fuckin’ timing. Suki was just on her way over.” Sokka walked out of his room. 

“We can hang in my room if you guys want the living room. Reparations for last night?” Zuko offered. 

“Sounds fair.” Sokka shrugged. “We still on for the game?” 

“Off course,” Zuko said. “I wouldn’t miss a chance to watch you loose.” 

“I’m not going to lose!” Sokka rolled his eyes. 

“Just keep saying that,” Zuko smirked. Jet slipped his hand into Zuko’s. He pulled him into the kitchen. 

“You better have some snacks,” he said. 

“There might be some tortilla chips or something in the pantry. I don’t know.” Zuko shrugged. Jet dropped his hand to rummage through the kitchen. Zuko sat on a barstool and watched his boyfriend. He managed to scrounge up a plate of nachos with some extra spicy salsa and some mild salsa. 

“Can we eat this in your room?” Jet said through a mouthful of chips. 

“I’m a grown man, we can eat wherever we want.” Zuko snorted. Jet smiled. They sat on Zuko’s bed and watched It’s Always Sunny on his laptop. He leaned into Jet’s chest, reveling in Jet’s laughter whenever the gang did something exceptionally stupid. He laced their fingers together. Jet leaned down to kiss his temple. Zuko tilted his head to kiss Jet. He frowned when Jet pulled away from him and paused the show.

“Why won’t you let me touch you in public?” Jet frowned back. Zuko’s stomach clenched. 

“PDA is gross,” he said.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Jet said. Zuko pulled away from Jet’s touch and folded his legs up to his chest. He let his face fall onto his knees. “Baby, please talk to me. If this relationship is going to work out, we need to communicate.” Jet was right. Their couples therapist was right when she said the same thing. The psychiatrist from the hospital was right when she said he wouldn’t get better unless he talked about his past. His friends were right when they tried to coax the same story out of him. “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine?” Jet flashed a crooked smile. Zuko steeled his expression and looked up at Jet. 

“I went to boarding school for most of high school, mostly because my father didn’t want to care for me after my mother left. An all boys boarding school. That was fine for the first two years because I had a girlfriend, but we were apart for so long, so I- I got involved with my roommate. I thought it would be fine, we could keep it a secret. But then I brought him home for spring break cause I’m an idiot. We kept things under wraps for most of the time, but on the last day, we got cocky and he took me on a date. We, we went out f-for frozen yogurt.” Zuko cleared his throat. His shoulders shook. Jet crossed his legs and took Zuko’s hand into his. “It was really nice. We were sitting at a table in front of the shop.” Zuko grimaced, tears pricking at his eyes. He scratched at the dry, uneven skin of his scar. “At- at- at the end of the date he- he- he.” Zuko paused again, tears finally rolling down his undamaged cheek. The tear duct of his other eye had been damaged and now couldn’t produce tears. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Jet furrowed his eyebrows. “He kissed me. A-a-a-and someone who knew my dad saw and told him. When I got home, my dad was waiting for me in the living room, reading a newspaper. He asked where I had been and I told him I was with my friend. He asked what kid of frozen yogurt I got and I- I didn’t answer. He- he f-f-fold his newspaper and said ‘Son, are you a fag?’ I said no, b-b-but he knew I was lying.” A sob was ripped from his throat. He leaned forward and dropped his head onto Jet’s shoulder. He continued to sob for a moment before he could continue. “He he he spat in my eye and threw me into the fireplace. He held me down for a long time. It hurt so bad. It hurts so fucking bad.” He could feel the hot coals digging into his skin, the heat spreading through his face and body, the scent of melting flesh and burning hair filled his nostrils. He felt his skin burn and warp. He pressed a hand to his damaged eye, hoping to relieve some of the pain. Jet wrapped his arms around him as he cried. He clawed at Jet’s back, sobs racked his body, his eyes clenched shut. He couldn’t continue. Jet rubbed his back. “I could barely drag myself out of the fire when he left. My uncle found me later. It’s a miracle it didn’t get infected,” Zuko managed to say after a few more minutes of sobbing into Jet’s shirt. His voice was scratchy and Jet didn’t say anything, but Zuko felt tears drip onto his neck. 

“When I was 13, I was staying in a foster home. At first it seemed normal, but a month or so in, my foster brother started to spy on me. He was like 18. He would watch me shower an-and change. Then he started to touch me. Mostly normal-ish stuff at first, touching my hand at dinner, brushing against me in the hallway, but then he, uh, started to, um, molest me, I guess. That’s what they called it in court anyway. It was horrible. I ran away a lot. Started my life of crime. Y’know, petty theft, arson, street fights. It made me feel powerful. Like I was in control of… _something_. I finally told the police one day when they dragged me in for beating the shit out of some asshole kid. Turns out he did this to a bunch of other kids that stayed at that place,” Jet said, his voice shaky from crying. His fingers curled into Zuko’s shirt, he let his chin drop onto his shoulder. After that, neither of them said anything for a while, the only sounds in the room being soft sniffles and quivering breaths. “I’m gonna kill your dad,” Jet said finally. 

“I’m going to kill your foster brother,” Zuko replied

“Thanks, babe.” 

“No problem. Thank you, love.” 

“Anything for you, sweetheart.” The two rearranged their tangle of limbs and turned back to the laptop and forgotten plate of nachos. Jet gave Zuko a teary eyed smile as he ate half the plate. “I’m proud of you, babe.” Zuko ducked his head in embarrassment. “Seriously, you look so much better. You look healthy.” He smiled and ran his thumb over Zuko’s undamaged cheek. A soft blush spread across said cheek. Jet leaned over and pressed a kiss to it. 

“I love you,” Zuko murmured. 

“I love you, too.” Jet pressed his face into Zuko’s neck. Zuko unpaused the show. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to research shit, but I don’t know everything, so if there’s something that you feel isn’t accurately portrayed, please let me know so I can fix it. Thank you guys for reading!!!


	3. Fanart :-)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Je suis une fucking idiot, I forgot I made fanart for this, so here it is.

[Them :-)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/189584635@N02/50190709797/in/dateposted-public/)

Holy shit why is it so hard to add images on ao3? I had to make a flickr account just so I could post this. Anyway, thank you for the comments and kudos, they are all deeply appreciated, I love you guys. Thank you so much :-)


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